


Skyrim: Secrets of the Moon

by MonkeyKnight



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, My Little Pony
Genre: Cosnach has no clue what's going on, F/M, First story on ao3, Mikal has done this so many times but Luna is something new..., Shavee is a hard-working stay at home mom, Sheogorath is a little shit, figure that tag out if you can, she loves her little scaleless children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-02 09:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16302614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonkeyKnight/pseuds/MonkeyKnight
Summary: Very few know the secrets that the moons hold. After all, no one has been to them. Therefore, it is rare knowledge. Hermaeus Mora wants to find the secrets but has no real way to get them. So when someone comes along that does know the secrets...nothing will stand in his way to get them.Except, of course, the Dovahkiin.





	1. This Isn't My Bed

Luna awoke with a gasp, her eyes flying open.  Her surroundings were unfamiliar; the iron bars did not comfort her, and she could feel the cold of the stone floor and wall against bare skin.  

 

Luna looked down at herself to better evaluate her situation.  Midnight blue hair flowed down past her shoulders, the hair shimmering as though it contained some ethereal power.  Her body was covered in a ragged dress, which stopped halfway down her upper legs. Ragged footwraps covered her two feet.  She reached out to feel the material, and stopped, staring at her hand in a bewildered fashion. Luna raised her other hand up to the first.  For some reason, it felt as though she was not supposed to have these. Shaking herself mentally, she examined her skin. It had a tanned tone, and was smooth, with no freckles or hair.  She also took notice of the sizeable mounds hiding beneath the dress. This all felt very strange to Luna, who could not get rid of the feeling that something was wrong. She looked around the cell and saw a little girl sleeping on a pile of hay.  Luna considered waking the girl when a door at the end of the room swung open. A heavily built man wearing armor walked in, a sword strapped to his side and a sneer on his face.

 

“So, you’re the one my men found outside the redoubt.”  Luna didn’t respond, for a distortion in the air behind the man had caught her attention, and even if it hadn’t, she felt nothing compelling her to answer him.  

 

“None of us know who you are, which means you’re only useful in one way.”  He leered at Luna, a lecherous look spreading across his face. Luna’s lip curled, her disgust evident.  “Oh, come now. Don’t look like that. One night with me and you’ll be begging-”

 

The man was cut off as the distortion disappeared, revealing a bipedal lizard in hooded, black leather armor.  The lizard forced the man’s head to the side and then sunk his fangs into the man’s neck. After a moment, the lizard released the man, and before the man could turn around, the lizard drew a saber and thrust it through the man’s chest.  The lizard removed the saber, multicolored energies flowing from the man into the lizard. Luna turned her head, sickened, but at the same time, grateful that the lizard had killed the man before he had done what he had been suggesting. The lizard searched the corpse, coming up with some lockpicks, a few pieces of gold, and the key to Luna and the girl’s cell.  He moved quickly, unlocking the cell door. By this point, the girl had woken.

 

“Who...who are you?” she asked.  “Why are you here?”

 

“Your father sent me.  He didn’t mention that the Forsworn had captured another woman, though.”  The lizard looked at Luna, tilting his head like a curious dog. His voice was raspy, and yet smooth at the same time.

 

“What is your name, Breton?”  Luna blinked at the strange word, and couldn’t help but feel like she should know it.  She contemplated answering the lizard. He killed a man - possibly many others as well; “Forsworn” sounded plural - but at the same time, he was here to rescue this girl.  Besides, he seemed nice enough.

 

“My name is Luna.  I-” She stopped. It was then that a realization hit her.  Her name was all she knew. Her eyes began to tear up, and a sob escaped her lips.  “I-I don’t remember anything!” Luna’s sobs grew, and the tears began to flow freely.  

 

The lizard raised his right hand, which became infused with a green light.  He clenched his fist, and the light pulsated. The lizard then thrust his hand forward, palm out, and a ball of energy the same color as the light lanced out, surging towards Luna.  It struck her, and her sobs quieted. Her tears stopped, though she still had to wipe her eyes.

 

“Better?” the lizard asked.  Luna nodded. It was a peculiar feeling, she decided, as she was still upset, but some unknown bravery overpowered the negative emotions, allowing her to focus on the situation at hand.

 

“Good.  My name is Mikal.  I am here to help, nothing more.”  Mikal stood aside, permitting the girl to leave the cell.  Luna rose shakily, her legs weak. She managed to stand, but when Luna attempted a step, she pitched forwards.  Mikal caught her, his scales surprisingly smooth. The black-clad lizard helped her stand again and then handed Luna a green bottle.

 

“Drink that.  Your stamina will return quickly.”  She did so, gagging a bit at the taste, and strength immediately flooded her body.  She tried walking again and succeeded. Mikal had gone back to the corpse and was again searching it for items.  This time, he took an ornamentally carved knife, pale gold in color. He tossed it into the air, causing it to flip, and caught it by the blade so that the hilt was facing Luna.

 

“Take it.  You’ll need a weapon until we can restore your knowledge of magicks.”  Luna tentatively took the knife, hoping she wouldn’t have to use it. Satisfied, Mikal turned to the girl.  

 

“Stay with Luna.  Do not, under any circumstances, leave her side unless I tell you to.  Okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Good.  Now then,” Mikal said.  “Let’s get out of here. Your father is anxious to see you again, and he’s not the only one wishing you to return safely.”  At that, the girl’s eyes lit up, joyous at the thought of seeing her papa again. Mikal led the two out of the room, his saber drawn and ready.  Electricity crackled in his left hand, and he walked in a crouch. Luna and the girl mimicked him. As they went, they encountered more corpses, some of them female.  At one of the female corpses, Mikal stopped and sized up the body, comparing it to Luna’s. He then stripped the corpse of armor.

 

“What are you doing?” Luna asked.  Wordlessly, the lizard turned to her, the dead Forsworn’s armor in his arms.  He extended the armor to Luna. She stared, mollified at what he was suggesting.

 

“I know you don’t like it, but I have no other armor on me, especially nothing that would fit you.  I can and will make you a better, proper set of armor, but until then...please. I’ve seen too many good friends die because they weren’t properly protected.”  Luna hesitated, but conceded defeat, and took the armor from him. Mikal turned around, averting his gaze, and Luna removed the rags she was wearing. She slowly put the Forsworn Armor on, grimacing all the while.  When she struggled with a piece, the girl helped her. Finally, the armor was on, and Luna said so to Mikal. He turned back to the two, gave Luna a once over, and nodded in approval.

 

“Perfect.  Now come,” he said, crouching again.  “We need to leave before more Forsworn arrive.”  And so they went, lightning dancing in Mikal’s palm, and the saber glowing a deep blood-red.  Eventually, the trio arrived at the main entrance. Mikal slowly opened the door, peering out, then swung the door open, standing up and walking out.  Luna and the girl both followed suit, both ecstatic at being free again. Once they were all outside, Mikal took one last look around, taking in the cool night air.  Satisfied that he could see no enemies, the lizard grinned at his companions, opened his mouth, and-

 

-let loose a cry of pain as a Forsworn arrow pierced his armor and sprouted from his shoulder.  He cursed, fumbling for the arrow. He had been careless, he should have looked up, he should have been more observant, he should have - the arrow!  Grasping the arrow, he wrenched it out of his shoulder, grunting at the slight pain.

 

“Do you know where Karthwasten is from here?”  The girl nodded, fear in her eyes. “Then run! Take Luna with you.  I’ll deal with these bastards.” The girl grabbed Luna’s hand and started running for her home.  Luna stumbled at first; running was new. She quickly found her balance and kept pace with the girl, hoping that Mikal would be alright.

 

* * *

 

Mikal watched the girls run off, then faced the Forsworn, who were standing at the top of a cliff in front of Broken Tower Redoubt, shouting curses at him.  He would’ve scaled the cliffside, or shot at them with a bow, but they would have scattered by then, and he had neglected to bring a bow or crossbow. Besides, he had seen enough of the Forsworn for today.

 

 **“You fools!”** he shouted, letting the Thu’um carry his voice without any power...yet.   **“You do not know whom you challenge.  Leave now, or suffer the consequences!”**  

 

The Forsworn laughed and jeered at Mikal, believing themselves out of his reach.  The Argonian smirked, and let the power of the Thu’um flow through him. He Shouted, and raw, elemental fury erupted from his maw in three words:

 

**“STRUN BAH QO!”**

 

Above them, the clouds swirled and thickened, growing dark.  Lightning crackled and jumped from cloud to cloud. The Forsworn watched the skies nervously and began to back away from the edge of the cliff.  Mikal began sprinting in the direction Luna and Fjotra had gone. Storm Call was one of his more powerful Shouts, and while he had never been directly harmed by it, the debris sent flying from the destruction could certainly do damage to him.  

 

Behind him, the group of Forsworn began to flee to no avail, as nothing short of Armageddon rained down on them in the form of a lightning storm.  Each pillar of lightning that struck the ground was thicker than the trunk of the Eldergreen and hotter than the surface of the sun. The Forsworn never made it back to their camping grounds.

 

Once he was a good distance away, Mikal turned back to watch the carnage.  Brilliant white bolts of sheer power continued to drop from the sky and would continue to do so for a while.  The Argonian chuckled; even after exercising his Thu’um many times, he was still amazed by what it could do. He shook his head in amusement, and then placed two fingers to his mouth.  Mikal let out a sharp, piercing whistle, and Shadowmere, faithful as ever, answered instantly, galloping out of the shadows.

 

“Good boy,” he crooned, stroking Shadowmere’s muzzle.  Shadowmere blinked and shook his mane, accepting the praise.

 

“I met someone new today, Shadowmere.  You’d like her.” Shadowmere snorted, causing the Argonian to sigh.  

 

“Yes, yes, I know.  You make your own judgments.”  Mikal climbed on top of Shadowmere, settling into the saddle.

 

“Let’s go, boy.  I do not want to return to Markarth empty-handed.  He flicked the reins, and Shadowmere took off, adopting a steady gait.  Mikal leaned forwards and whispered their destination in Shadowmere’s ear.  Shadowmere snorted and shook his head, acknowledging the command. Exhausted, Mikal slumped in the saddle.  He dozed off, knowing that Shadowmere wouldn’t let him fall. The dark horse trotted on, never tiring, eyes and ears alert for any sign of danger.  Far, far above them, a serpentine figure flew on mismatched wings.

 

“So this is where that thing sent Lulu.  An interesting world, to be sure. So much chaos!  Perhaps I’ll stay and watch a while longer…” The figure flew on, following the horse and rider to the woman who knew nothing but her name.

 

* * *

 

Murky black water swirled around islands of books, the occasional Lurker surfacing to try and nab a Seeker.  Above them, a grotesque mass of tentacles with a single eye stared at nothing in that world, and at the Argonian rider in his own.

  
“ _Soon...the secrets of the moon will be mine!_ ”


	2. This Is Why You Don't Wear Enemy Armor

Luna and the girl ran until they could run no more, both of them gasping for breath. Luna looked back at where they had left Mikal and was surprised at how far they’d gone.  The swirling clouds did worry her, though she didn’t know why. She turned back to the girl and saw her breathing had steadied.

 

“Are you ready to go on?” she asked.  The girl nodded.

 

“My village isn’t too far from here. Come on!”  The two continued up the path, walking now. Luna looked up at the sky, marveling at the stars, moons, and the shimmering ribbon of color...which made her wonder where that mass of clouds over the redoubt had come from.  She was shaken from her thoughts when the girl called out to her. 

 

“Hurry, Luna! I can see Karthwasten!” Luna couldn’t help but smile. The girl was so joyous compared to before that she seemed an entirely different person.  Luna ran to catch up to the girl. When they reached Karthwasten, Luna looked around at the empty village.

 

Three houses and other buildings formed a semicircle, and up the hill was what appeared to be an entrance to a mine. At first, she wondered where everyone was, then remembered; it was late, of course, the residents would be inside. The girl ran up to a house standing in between the other two houses.  Before Luna could stop her, the girl knocked on the house’s door four times. While the girl was waiting for an answer, Luna had moved so that she was standing behind her.

 

After a time, the door opened, revealing a man in miner’s clothes and sporting a day-old beard.  Hanging on his belt was a pickaxe. He saw the girl first.

 

“Fjotra?”

 

“Papa!”  Fjotra wrapped her father in a hug. The miner, shellshocked, slowly returned the embrace, as though he couldn’t believe his daughter was back. Eventually, reality caught up to him, and he strengthened his grip on Fjotra, never wanting to let her go.

 

“Oh, Fjotra! I never thought I’d see you again!” Luna watched the whole exchange, a smile on her face as she watched father and daughter reunite. The father finally looked up, expecting to see the fanged Argonian that said he would get Fjotra back. Instead, he saw one from the group that took his daughter. 

 

“Forsworn!”

 

* * *

 

A whinny from Shadowmere roused Mikal from his half-sleep. He sat up straight in the saddle and looked around. Shadowmere had stopped on the incline that led to Karthwasten. In fact, they had stopped right outside the village.

 

“Shadowmere, why…” Mikal’s voice died in his throat when his eyes fell on the reason for Shadowmere’s halt. Every man in Karthwasten was belly-down on the ground, each of them struggling to grab a weapon just out of reach. Crimson red energies assaulted their bodies, forcing them to the ground in a way similar to Dragonrend. Mikal spotted Fjotra trying to help her father to no avail. In the center of it all was Luna.

 

She was floating a foot off the ground, surrounded by a pale green barrier.  Her arms were flung out to the side, and her mouth was open in a silent scream.  Luna’s hair looked like a piece of the midnight sky itself. What really caught his attention was her eyes. They were pure white, blank as the Void, and blazed with power. It was then that Fjotra spotted him.

 

“Mister! Please, help my papa!”, she begged.

 

“Fjotra, what happened?”

 

“Papa saw Luna and thought she was with the people that kidnapped me!” Mikal blinked, then swore. Of course. The armor they had taken off the corpse. 

 

“He shouted at her, and then attacked her! She kept backing away, but he wouldn’t stop! Right before Papa hit her, she screamed and threw her arms out to the side. The next thing I knew, the moons were glowing, and -” Mikal cut her off.

 

“The moons?” He looked up, and sure enough, the two moons were glowing. Mikal looked back to the men, then to Luna’s barrier. The colors were the same as the moons’ colors. Was Luna...using the moons? 

 

“Stay with Shadowmere, hatchling.” He advanced, but as soon as he stepped inside the village, the red energies attacked him as harshly as the other men.  _ Damn! She can’t tell friend from foe!  _

 

Mikal fell to a knee and struggled to rise, visibly shaking with the effort.  _ A Shout. I need a Shout. _

 

**“WULD!”**

 

The Shout worked as intended, blasting him forwards, but the intensified pull of gravity on his body worked against him, stopping him all too soon. Unprepared for the sudden halt, he tumbled onto his belly. Once more, he struggled to rise, then Shouted again.

 

**“MUL QAH DIIV!”**

 

Ethereal Dragonbone Armor faded into existence around his body.  He stood this time, albeit shakily. The Dragon Aspect’s power was giving him a dovah’s strength, easing the task of resisting the spell, and he slowly but surely made his way towards Luna.

 

* * *

 

 

Luna found herself in what appeared to be a meeting room. In the center of the room was a table, and standing around the table were three horse-like creatures. One had a pure white coat and a mane flowing with color and power. The second had a pink coat and tri-colored mane of pink, yellow, and purple. The third and final had a lavender coat and violet mane with a magenta streak. Each creature had a horn and wings. All wore some form of regalia. Judging by the body shape, all were female as well.

 

“I’m sorry, Princess Celestia. I can’t find any trace of the wormhole that opened up and took her.” The speaker was the third creature. For whatever reason, the fact that she spoke did not startle or surprise Luna. In fact, all three seemed familiar to her. The lavender creature continued speaking.

 

“Discord’s dimension hopping, but we haven’t heard back from him yet.”

 

“Shiny and I haven’t found anything either,” stated the pink one. “We’re looking through Sombra’s journals and records; many dark creatures and beings are recorded in them, but none are like the one that appeared through the wormhole.” 

 

The white one closed her eyes, as though in thought.

 

“I see. Cadence, Twilight, thank you both. Even though you haven’t found anything, you tried. That helps me greatly.” Now Luna had all their names. But what were they talking about? Someone was taken from them? 

 

“It seems now we are waiting for Discord’s message. Let me know when -” A flash of white energy cut her off. Floating above the center of the table was a scroll. The lavender one’s - ah, Twilight’s horn glowed magenta, encasing the scroll in the same color. The scroll floated over to her, and she unraveled it, reading its contents.

 

“It’s from Discord. He’s found her, but because of some beings called daedric princes, he can’t snap her out of that dimension. She’s safe; a native named Mikal found her and is helping her. Discord says for now he’ll watch and listen, then ‘accidentally’ run into them. Disguised of course.”

 

“Anything else?” Celestia asked. Twilight read more of the scroll.

 

“He says to say hello to Fluttershy for him.” Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “He also says that if a cyclops triangle appears and asks for him, the check’s in the mail and he’ll get his goat at the next Chaotic Beings Anonymous meeting.” 

 

Celestia laughed at Discord’s last written statement.

 

“Well...if nothing else, she’s safe and Discord knows where she is. Go back to the Crystal Empire and Ponyville. Twilight, tell me when Discord sends in his next report.” Twilight and Cadence nodded, then left the room. 

 

As soon as the door closed, Celestia’s posture slumped, her head lowering and her smiling fading. Luna’s heart ached for the white equine. She may not have known exactly who Celestia was, but she wanted to tell her that everything would be fine and that she’d find who she was looking for. 

 

“I swear...we will find you, sister. We will find you and bring you back home.” Tears gathered in her eyes. 

 

“We’ll bring you home, Luna.” 

 

At that moment, the room faded, and Luna’s vision went dark.

 

* * *

 

 

“Mikal! I think she’s waking up.” The pale Argonian looked behind him to where Shadowmere was following. The dark horse’s steps were careful, making sure that Luna did not fall off, and Fjotra sat in front of Luna, holding Shadowmere’s reins. Sure enough, the Breton was stirring. Mikal stopped walking and Shadowmere drew level with him before stopping as well.

 

“Nngh...hm? Where…?”

 

“You’re awake. How do you feel?” Luna looked down at the Argonian, who was regarding her with concerned eyes.

 

“I’m fine.” She looked around. “Where are we?”

 

“The road to Markarth.” Mikal crossed his arms and shifted his weight. “I must say, I am impressed. Most wouldn’t be conscious for far longer than you were.”

 

“I was unconscious?”

 

“For a day and a half. Enmon, Fjotra’s father, apologizes for attacking you. His wife, Mena, dressed you while you were out. Now only a complete idiot would call you a Forsworn.” He hesitated, looking away from Luna then back at her. “What do you remember?”

 

“The last thing I remember was Enmon attacking me...and a dream of some sort. But it’s sketchy.” Mikal nodded, accepting her answer.

 

“The body rejects any memories that it doesn’t like. Combine that with the backlash I caused and the magicka hyper exhaustion you suffered from that spell...I thank the Divines you aren’t comatose.”

 

“Is Luna going to be okay?” Mikal looked to Fjotra, then smiled at her. It seemed that Fjotra had taken a liking to the Breton.

 

“As long as she doesn’t use any kind of magic for a day or two, she'll be fine. Now,” he said cheerfully. “Let us be off to Markarth.” 

 

Mikal turned back to the road and focused his magicka. A swirling sphere of darkness congealed in his left hand. Thrusting his hand forwards, the Argonian cast the spell towards the road. Bluish-white energy swirled in a sphere and then cleared, revealing an unearthly creature.

 

A horse’s complete skeleton stood on the road. Its hooves and tailbone had fire surrounding them, and the same fire streaked from where its mane would’ve been. The eye sockets shone with an otherworldly light. Every part of the skeleton horse was a deep purple. 

 

“This is Arvak, a horse I found in the Soul Cairn.” 

 

Arvak turned to look at the others, and Shadowmere snorted in response, unimpressed. Mikal chuckled at Shadowmere, then climbed onto Arvak. He dug his heels into Arvak’s ribs, and the skeleton horse took off, Shadowmere following close behind.

 

Not two minutes after they had left, a white-haired young man materialized into existence, right on the spot where the horses had stood.

 

“Oh, poo. Missed them by a few minutes. Oh well. Guess I’ll explore for a bit, and who knows? Maybe I’ll find some chaos…or make some!” He cackled, then snapped his fingers and disappeared.

 

* * *

 

A group of five traveled North towards Markarth. 

 

Their armor and weapons clanked and jangled as they went down the trail. All looked as though they were about to fight a powerful enemy. The one walking point remembered the instructions they had been given: Kill the Vampire Lord known as Mikal, who was traveling to the Dwarven city. He looked at the sun. They would arrive at Markarth by sunset. Turning to the others, the group leader shouted at the others to keep moving, they were almost there. As they went, each of them mentally prepared for the battle.

 

A group of five traveled North towards battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, the second chapter! Just so we're clear, I've prewritten up to chapter seven. I do want to finish this story, but the original plot was far too convoluted. I've simplified it, and know the basic points that I want to reach. Now I just have to add the details in between the points.
> 
> Writing is hard.


	3. In Which Shadowmere Has His Feelings Hurt

As Arvak and Shadowmere trotted down the path to Markarth, Luna took in the scenery around them. The area, she decided, was as picturesque as a sculptor's carvings.  Her thoughts were interrupted by a low growling sound. Luna looked around, alarmed, and the growl sounded again. Looking down, she found the source of the sound.

 

It was her stomach.  Ahead of her, Mikal snickered as he turned Arvak around to Shadowmere and the flustered Breton.

 

“Hungry, are we?” he amusedly questioned.

 

Luna blushed, and Fjotra giggled from her spot in front of Luna.  Mikal smiled and said, “I suppose we could take a break. Markarth is only an hour’s walk from here.”  

 

He climbed off of Arvak’s back.  As soon as Mikal’s feet touched the ground, Arvak crumpled and disappeared, energy crackling for a moment, then dispersing.  Luna gaped at the spot where Arvak had vanished.

 

“What happened to Arvak?” she asked.

 

“He returned to the Soul Cairn.  He only stays here for as long as I use him for a mount.  Now then, how about you get off of Shadowmere so he can rest his ancient bones, eh?”  The aforementioned horse tossed his mane and stomped his hoof in anger.

 

“They are too ancient!” was Mikal’s rebuke.  “How long ago was it that Lachance rode you, hmm?”  Shadowmere whickered softly and turned his head away.  “That’s what I thought.”

 

The Argonian walked over to the sulking horse ( There is no way that’s normal, thought Luna) and lifted Fjotra off of Shadowmere and onto the ground.  He turned back to help Luna off, but to his surprise, she was already on the ground.  

 

“I see someone knows her way around horses.”  

 

Luna blushed again.  “I don’t know how I knew what to do,” admitted the blue-haired Breton.  “It just felt…natural.”

 

“Perhaps you used to work with or around horses.  Even if you didn’t, at least we know your memory isn’t completely gone.”

 

“Um…Mikal?”  The Argonian turned at Fjotra’s voice.  The girl was pointing into the woods with a scared look on her face.  Peering in the direction of Fjotra’s gaze, he saw what had frightened her.

 

Wolves.

 

Mikal swore under his breath…then an idea hit him. Drawing in a breath, his Thu’um touched the world once again.

 

**“RAAN MIR TAH!”**

 

A burst of golden energy flooded the area. When it faded, the three wolves were still there; the Shout had not harmed them.  Mikal walked confidently to the wolves, knelt down once he reached them, and said something to them that was inaudible to Luna and Fjotra.  As soon as he stood up, the wolves bounded off into the woods. The Argonian turned to the bewildered females and grinned.

 

“Taken care of.”

 

Luna shook her head in bewilderment.  “Is there anything you can’t do?” she asked.

 

“Oh, I assure you, I am not infallible or invincible.  There was a time when I would have had to kill the wolves.”

 

“What did you say to them?”  

 

“That hunting would be better elsewhere,” he said.  Mikal strode up to Shadowmere and began rummaging through the saddlebags.  “Now then, I believe we were about to eat?”

 

* * *

 

One meal and an hour’s walk later, the group had neared the gates of Markarth.  When the entrance entered her vision, Luna’s jaw dropped. The entrance was well fortified; being part of the surrounding mountain helped.  She was shaken out of her shock when the two guards at the gate drew their swords.

 

“Halt,” One shouted.  “Who goes there?”

 

Signaling to Shadowmere to stay put, Mikal took a step forwards, hands raised to show they were empty.

 

“Mikal, Thane to the Jarl of Markarth, with the new Sybil of Dibella and a champion of Nocturnal.”

 

Underneath their helmets, the guards’ eyes widened.  “Oh...forgive us, Thane. We were just following orders.”  

 

Mikal smiled in response.  “Yes, you were. How unlike the last pair of guards you are.”

 

The guards sheathed their swords and stood up straight.  “Please, go on through. If you wish, we can get someone to take care of your horse for you.”

 

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”  Mikal helped Fjotra off of Shadowmere again, and as before, Luna had already dismounted when he turned back around.  Stepping around Luna, the pale Argonian dug through the saddlebags and came up with two pouches of gold, which he tossed to the guards.  “Here. Consider it a reward for, ah...following orders.”

 

Both of the guards caught the pouches.  “Thank you, Thane.”

 

Mikal nodded to them, then turned and whispered into Shadowmere’s ear.  Shadowmere snorted and shook his mane, then turned back and made his way to the stables.  

 

“By the Eight, that’s a well-trained horse.”

 

Smirking, Mikal strode past the guards, Luna and Fjotra following closely.  “Not well-trained. Just intelligent.”

 

As the three entered Markarth, Luna looked at Mikal questioningly.

 

“‘Champion of Nocturnal?’”  Mikal shrugged.

 

“Would you have rather I said ‘amnesiac Breton’ instead?’”

 

“...You have a tongue of silver.”

 

“I prefer to think of it as saying what people want to hear.”  

 

Luna shook her head in exasperation. “You’re hopeless.”

 

“No, I’m silver-tongued.”

 

“Arrgh!”

 

* * *

 

Discord grumbled to himself as he walked up the incline to Markarth.  Thanks to a daedric prince, most of his chaotic powers were gone. All he could currently do were illusions and minor reality manipulation.  Really minor. At the very least, he had managed to hide his tail, wings, and horns, as those showed even in his human form, and would have gotten strange looks...well, more than he had already received.  By the standards of Skyrim, Discord’s entire appearance was abnormal.

 

His skin was a pale grey, and his irises were red.  His shaggy hair was pure white, and his snaggletooth still hung out of his mouth.  A brown jacket hung open over a white shirt that read “CHAOS”. One of the jacket’s sleeves were yellow, and the other was gold.  His pants were ragged, with a light brown left leg and a green right leg. His bare feet showed no signs of wear, and no matter what he walked on, sent no pain-filled signals.

 

_The first chance, I get, that Sheo-whatever is getting the thrashing of his immortal existence._  

 

Discord’s grumblings were interrupted upon reaching Markarth’s gates.  Ahead of him, five armored individuals were talking to the gate guards.  One of them handed a guard a piece of parchment. The guards read the paper, then nodded and let the group through.  Curious, Discord walked straight up to the guard with the paper and plucked it out of his hands.

 

“Hey, you can’t-”  Discord snapped his fingers, and both guards stiffened, then returned to their posts.  Now undisturbed, Discord read the parchment.

 

_“To Mikal Dovahkiin,_

_Strange sounds have been reported by the night guard, and farmers claim to see otherworldly lights coming from an area known to be riddled with caves._

_As this is not something solid to go on, it was dismissed as hallucinations caused by lack of sleep. Unfortunately, we were wrong to think it was not a threat._

_The night guard was attacked by vampires. Two of my men were killed before the last of the vampires fled, and the survivors state the vampires ran off towards the cave system._

_I beg of you, remove the threat before it grows larger. These five men will assist you in the endeavor._

_I remain,_

_Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath”_

 

A cold sense of dread ran through Discord.  As a creature of deception, he could see through lies, and this note was one big lie.  The entire thing was forged, which meant that this Mikal was in danger...wait a minute...Mikal was the native that helped Luna!  And if the armored group saw Luna as an ally of Mikal...they’d kill her, too. The draconequus-turned-human ran into Markarth.

 

Luna was in danger, and he’d be damned before he let her get hurt.  After all, she held the secrets of the moon, and no one could ever know them.

 

_Don’t you dare die, Luna.  I haven’t shown you my latest design for the moon’s surface yet!_

 

Discord ran faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little shorter, and more of a filler chapter than a plot mover.
> 
> Also, I've got a blog for asking the characters questions! Just search "thelordmonkeyknight" on Tumblr.


	4. First Down at the City of Stone

Mikal collapsed into a chair by the fireplace with a contented sigh. After taking Fjotra to the priestesses of Dibella, he had gone to the Silver-Blood Inn for a drink. As for Luna, he had given her directions to his house from the temple.

 

* * *

 

“Why aren’t you going there too?” she had asked.

 

“I need to stop by Ghorza's to check on an order,” he replied. “After that, I need a drink.”

 

And so, they went their separate ways. Mikal trekked up the stairs to the smithy's, nodding his head in greeting to each guard he saw. The guards were still corrupt but as Thane of Markarth, he did his best to keep them on the morally gray side of good. Of course, he was also a thief and assassin, but both the Thieves' Guild and the Dark Brotherhood had a long reach. The guards knew to look the other way.

 

Finally, he arrived at Ghorza's forge. The she-orc was pounding away at a hunk of metal. As Mikal got closer, he noticed that Ghorza was striking the metal with more force than necessary, and cursing under her breath all the while. The Argonian cleared his throat to get her attention, and she whipped around, hammer raised to strike. The hammer lowered when she recognized Mikal, though her glare didn't abate as she reached for the weapons he had requested. The blacksmith pulled out a Daedric Sword and Daedric Dagger, both of which took her two weeks to make. She knew that if Mikal hadn't gathered the ingredients for her, it would have taken longer.

 

“Don’t you dare end up breaking these," she warned."Or else I’ll break you.”

 

Mikal chuckled at the warning and took the weapons from her. “Did someone stay up later than they should have to make these?” he teased.

 

“Shut up, Silver-Tongue,” Ghorza snapped. “If you must know, it’s that time again. I am not in a mood to have fun either, nor am I prone to mistakes in forging.”

 

“I had wondered where your assistant was.”

 

Ghorza swore and chucked her tongs at Mikal, followed by ingots of varying metals. “DO NOT MENTION HIM!”

 

Getting the message, Mikal quickly fled the smithy, his new weapons strapped to his sides. Now he was warm on the inside from the drink and on the outside from the fire. The sound of footsteps filled his earholes, and he turned his head to see an old friend. “Ah, Cosnach!”

 

“My favorite drinking buddy! How’ve ya been, lizard?”

 

Mikal laughed. If anyone else called him a lizard, he took offense or ignored them, but for Cosnach it was friendly banter, nothing more. Of course, that meant Mikal could respond in kind. “Keep pressing your luck, Cosnach. Sooner or later, I will snap!”

 

The Nord smirked and sat down in the seat opposite of him. “So, what’d you get back from this time? Slaying a daedric prince or summat?”

 

“Rescuing a little girl and a woman without her memory from the Forsworn. Honestly, Cosnach, how many more times are you going to guess wildly?”

 

“Until I’m right. Anyways, I’ve got somethin’ that might interest you.”

 

Mikal quirked an eye ridge. “Oh? What is it?”

 

“Some armored guys came into Markarth. About five of them. I think they’re mercenaries or something, ‘cause they’re looking for someone.”

 

The Argonian rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. “Do you know who?” he questioned.

 

“Nah. Figured it’d be more for you than for me, so I left before I found out. Thought you could go and talk to them.”

 

“Hmm. Perhaps I will. Thank you for the information, Cosnach.”

 

At that moment, the door to the inn burst open, and a strange-looking man entered.

 

“Is Mikal in here?” he asked. Mikal and Cosnach glanced at each other and nodded. The Argonian and the Nord rose from their seats.

 

“Who’s asking?”

 

* * *

 

Discord did his dead-level best to remain calm and collected. Thanks to some stealthy and well-timed illusions, he had managed to stir up the armored group into a frenzy by sending them on a wild goose chase throughout the city. Now that they were held up by the city guards, Discord made his move. It only took asking one of the guards not handling the group to find himself directed to the Silver-Blood Inn, where he hoped Mikal was. He entered the inn rather forcefully and asked for Mikal without hesitation. It was quiet for a while, but to his utmost relief, the same lizard-man he had seen riding the dark horse after the lightning storm stood up.

 

“Who’s asking?”

 

Discord approached quickly, causing Mikal to reach for a jagged blade.

 

“Now hold on,” Discord exclaimed, holding up his hands. “I’m not an enemy! Not to you at least.”

 

Mikal didn’t move his hand from the blade’s hilt, which Discord expected. No doubt past experience kept the pale Argonian wary of people he didn’t know. What he didn’t expect was the whisper filled with power.

 

**“LAAS!”**

 

For a brief amount of time, Mikal’s eyes looked different. Before Discord could figure out what it was, Mikal blinked and his eyes were normal again. “Fine,” he said. “I will listen.”

 

Thanking Laurfausta, Discord decided to be abrupt. “Luna’s in danger.”

 

“What? How do you know that? How do you know Luna, for that matter?”

 

“She and I are from the same place. I’m an...ally of hers, in a way. As for how I know, perhaps it’s because I read the paper that accused you and showed you as a criminal. If I’m right, then they’ll go after her too.”

 

“Who will go after her?” Mikal asked.

 

“Maybe the group of five heavily armed individuals running around screaming for your blood,” was the deadpan response.

 

* * *

 

“Are you lost?”

 

Luna blinked, then looked down at the source of the question. It was a little girl with blonde hair and a green dress. “Pardon?”

 

“You’ve been standing there for a while, so I thought you might be lost and wanting some help!”

 

“Oh...yes, I suppose I am. Mikal gave me directions to his house, but...well, I can’t remember them.”

 

The little girl’s face brightened. “You know my papa?”

 

“Your papa?”

 

“Yes! Mikal’s my papa!”

 

“Oh.” For an instant, Luna tried to comprehend how a bipedal lizard could have a human child but quickly dismissed it. She could ask later. “Could you take me to your papa’s house?”

 

“Yeah! Come on, it’s this way! I’m Runa, by the way.”

 

Luna smiled warmly. “Greeting, young one. I am Luna.”

 

Runa's eye grew wide. "Our names sound the same!" exclaimed the little girl. "That's so cool! Come on, I wanna tell Mama."

 

With that, Runa ran off, Luna quickly following as she held in giggles of laughter. Whether or not Luna remembered how she interacted with children, the Breton felt as though the antics and shenanigans children got up to amused her.

 

* * *

 

Shavee stirred the soup, making sure it didn’t burn on the sides on the bottom. She sighed, mentally taking role of the household’s occupants. _‘Alesan’s laying in bed, I asked Argis to see if the apothecary had any Cure Disease potions, Mikal….’_ she sighed again. _‘...is hopefully alive and on his way home, and Runa is-’_

 

“Mama, I’m home!”

 

Shavee smiled at her daughter’s voice. “Hello, little one. Did you enjoy the temple?”

 

“No, they didn’t let me in. The nice priestess said that no one could go in ‘cause they were training the new Sybil.”

 

“Oh. That’s too bad. Another time then.” To be quite honest, Shavee preferred her daughter to stay away from the Temple of Dibella. After what Mikal told her about Helga, she wanted Runa to have nothing to do with the Dibellan priestesses.

 

“I made a new friend, though. Her name sounds like mine!" Runa's voice cut through Shavee's thoughts. "Say hi, Luna!”

 

At this, Shavee finally looked up from the meal she was preparing. Sheepishly standing next to Runa was a female Breton with fair skin, which was lightly tanned. She wore fine blue clothes, and her hair looked to be a deep navy blue, which was uncommon, but Shavee wouldn’t judge. For some reason, her hair seemed to be shimmering with power.

 

Luna waved. “Hello.”

 

“Greetings, Luna," smiled Shavee. "I hope my daughter was not too forceful when she dragged you here.”

 

Luna smiled back. “Hardly. In fact, I meant to come here in the first place. Mikal told me to deliver a message to his wife, and I’m assuming that’s you.”

 

“What’s the message?”

 

“That he is back safely. He also said that he would have told you himself, but decided to send me to you with a message, since he had to take the new Sybil to the Temple of Dibella.”

 

Shavee smiled and shook her head. “He thinks he knows everything,” she muttered. “Thank you for telling me, Luna.” Shavee turned back to the soup. “Runa, go tell your brother to wash up for supper.”

 

“Yes, Mama.”

 

She ran off into the house. Luna fidgeted under Shavee’s gaze. “So, um...how-”

 

“How do two Argonians have human children?” finished Shavee. Luna smiled nervously. That had been exactly what she was going to ask. “They are adopted. Mikal found Alesan living on the streets of Dawnstar, and Runa was in the Honorhall Orphanage.”

 

“But why no Argonian children? Didn’t you two have a, erm…” Luna blushed. “...honeymoon?”

 

“Oh, we did. Believe me, we definitely did.” Shavee smirked as Luna’s blush deepened. “But it appears that one of us or both of us are infertile."

 

"I'm sorry," Luna softly stated, all traces of her blush gone. "That must have been awful to find out."

 

"Bah, it matters not. I love Runa and Alesan as though I had given birth to them,” Shavee stated.

 

Luna couldn’t help but smile. “Like my Children of the Night. They were orphans on the street until I took them to a special place. Discord helped me raise them until he turned...turned…”

 

Shavee looked at Luna worriedly. Luna’s eyes were blank, and her mouth was slightly open. “Luna? What’s wrong?”

 

“I-I can’t remember who Discord is. I can’t remember who the Children of the Night are.” Luna clutched the sides of her head, and tears started to stream down her face. “But I mentioned them! So why can’t I remember?!”

 

Shavee moved forwards and enveloped Luna in a hug. Luna, in turn, wrapped her arms around the female Argonian, sobbing and clutching Shavee like she was her only lifeline. _‘This poor girl,’_ Shavee thought. _‘Could things get any worse for her?’_

 

As if on cue, an explosion sounded outside the house. It was a sound Shavee had heard before. Her husband was fighting.

 

* * *

 

The moment Discord had described the armored group roaming the city, Mikal immediately stormed out of the inn, cursing Isran and the Dawnguard. He briefly registered Cosnach and Discord following behind him.

 

_‘Damn those fools. I killed Harkon for them. I told them that I posed no threat to them. I explained my reasons to them. I even gave them the Shield of Auriel that I recovered from the Falmer! So why in Oblivion are they after me!?’_

 

So engrossed in his thoughts was he that Mikal didn’t see the Dawnguard until it was too late. Giving up on their efforts, the Dawnguard had decided to wait on the road for Mikal to approach or leave Markarth.

 

It was then that Nocturnal proved to be a fickle mistress, as right as Mikal left the Silver-Blood Inn, the Dawnguard crossed in front of it. The Dawnguard member closest to the Argonian yelled at the others, and they all turned to see Mikal, who was now filling the air with every single profanity he could think of. Ignoring this, the group leader, a Nord stepped forwards.

 

“Mikal Dovahkiin, you are accused of vampirism by the Dawnguard," he boomed. "You can either come with us for a trial or resist and be killed here. Your choice.”

 

At this, Mikal snorted in amusement. “A trial? Sheogorath must have played with your minds if you think I’d go to one of your damn monkey trials in a kangaroo court.”

 

The leader sneered at Mikal and drew his Dawnguard Axe, the others readying their weapons as well. “You’ve made your decision. Any last words?”

 

Mikal shrugged nonchalantly. “Yes, actually. Tell Isran that he can take his ego and his ax and shove them both up his arse, along with the stick that’s been there ever since I turned.” The leader growled at Mikal and raised his ax to strike. “Hold on. I have three left.” Mikal took a deep breath, and-

 

**“FUS RO DAH!”**

 

Near infinite force blasted from Mikal’s maw, and the Dawnguard went flying, one of them disintegrating into ash from the sheer power of the Shout. The four remaining Dawnguard got up, but before they could fully recover, Cosnach rushed in and slipped an ebony dagger in between the ribs of a Dawnguard Wood Elf. The vampire hunter fell to the ground, and his fellow hunter, a Dark Elf, turned on Cosnach with an enraged cry.

 

Cosnach lept back and drew a slender saber that emitted chaos energy. It had been a gift from Mikal some time ago. From behind Mikal, Discord leaped at the Dawnguard standing next to the leader, a female Imperial, effectively rugby tackling her. This left only the leader standing, the Nord’s face registering shock that his two of his team had fallen so quickly. He clenched his teeth and then howled in fury, slashing and hacking at Mikal with his ax.

 

The Argonian was prepared and drew his new weapons, a Daedric Sword and Daedric Dagger. Even though he had not enchanted nor sharpened either of them yet, they both seemed to sing for spilled blood. With great ease and skill, Mikal blocked the swings with the Daedric Sword, finally catching an overhead swing in the serrated edge of the blade. Seemingly of its own accord, the Daedric Dagger lashed across the Dawnguard’s armored chest. The deadly weapon cut through the armor like a hot knife through butter and into flesh. The vampire hunter fell to his knees, blood seeping from the wound. Mikal put the sword and dagger to the leader’s neck, and swung, beheading him. The Argonian looked over to Cosnach to see him finishing his opponent by running her through, then beheading her as well. As for Discord…

 

“Sithis and damnation!” The curse lept from Mikal’s mouth before he could stop it, and for good reason. Discord’s opponent had been ripped to bloody shreds, barely recognizable as a human being anymore. However, Mikal had seen worse. No, what got to the vampire was Discord's new appearance.

 

Discord now sprouted wings, one reminiscent of a blue jay, the other of a bat. On his head was half a set of antlers and a goat’s horn. His left hand had taken on qualities of a bird of prey’s talon, and his right hand was similar to the paw of a sabre cat’s. Discord’s right foot had become green and clawed like a dragon’s, and his left foot looked hardened and brown, not unlike a cow’s hoof. Finally, a long red lizard’s tail with a feathered end sprouted from his waist. His hands and feet were bloodied.

 

“My Thane?” Mikal jumped, whirling around. A guard had approached and was eyeing Discord warily through his helmet. “The gate guards heard the commotion. They said that those people you just killed were here on official business. Even had a letter from Jarl Siddgeir.”

 

Mikal frowned. “A letter? Let me see it.”

 

The guard handed over a letter, and Mikal scrutinized it. Eventually, he swore. “This is a forgery. Siddgeir is left-handed, so his writing slants the other way. Tell the gate guards that they aren’t in any kind of trouble. They most likely haven’t seen enough letters from Jarls to tell whether or not they’re fake.” With the orders given, Mikal tore up the fake letter.

 

“Yes, Thane Mikal," was the well-trained response. "What about the bodies of the people that attacked you?”

 

“Dispose of the bodies. Spread the ashes around; sweep them into the river if you have to.”

 

“And the daedra over there?” The guard's voice was laced with suspicion and fear. With his grey skin, Discord could have been dismissed as a vampire. It was no secret among the Markarth Guard that Mikal himself was a vampire, along with his other connections. As such, Mikal had told the guardsmen that any vampires accompanied by him were to be left alone.

 

But Discord's animalistic features invalidated any notion of him being a vampire. As such, he was immediately labeled as a daedra, as there were really no other creatures in Skyrim that would be that human-looking and yet so vicious. 

 

“A new type of daedra that I summoned as an experiment. He is is to be trusted as though he were a vampire," ordered the Argonian. "Also, spread the word that this was an assassination attempt by the Dark Brotherhood dressed in Dawnguard Armor. The reason was so that they could justify their kill by claiming vampirism on the target.”

 

“Yes, my Thane.”

 

The guard relayed the orders to the others, and they got to work. Mikal stalked over to Discord and put a finger in his face. “You. Clean up in the stream. Do whatever you did before to look human again. I have to try and calm down the public with bribes and lies. After that, you have some explaining to do.”

 

* * *

 

Discord crouched down in the stream that ran throughout Markarth and sighed. This was that Sheo-whatever’s fault. If that idiot hadn’t taken his powers, then he wouldn’t have had to do that to the Dawnguard. The draconequus had no choice, though. With his magic as limited as it was, his only defense were his claws, hoof, and talons.

 

After scrubbing the blood off of his appendages, Discord stood up and snapped his talons, hiding his animalistic features. Almost instantly, Mikal’s dagger was against his throat and his sword against his belly.

 

“What in Sithis’s name did you do to that woman?" the Dragonborn growled. "What are you?”

 

Discord smirked. The lizard had guts, that was for sure. “First and foremost, I am a draconequus, a being of immense chaos magic. As for what I did to that woman...well, I had no other choice.”

 

“Why?” Mikal pressed the dagger further into Discord's throat. The draconequus' flesh had yet to split, but the Daedric dagger seemed to be singing. To Discord, it was as though the blade was bloodthirsty, eager to spill as much as it could.

 

“This person named Sheo-something drained me of my magic," came the sullen answer. Discord's smirk was gone, the faux-human having realized how serious Mikal was. "He said that the story wouldn’t be very fun if I just did everything with a snap of my fingers. As it is, I have enough magic for illusions and minor reality manipulation.”

 

Mikal muttered something under his breath about a mad god, then pressed the dagger into Discord’s throat. The jagged blade seemed to sing as it got closer to cutting Discord’s flesh. “And why are you here?”

 

“Why to protect Lulu, of course! What kind of friend would I be if I left her all alone in this world, wallowing in her amnesia? Of course, it’s a good thing she has amnesia, otherwise, she’d be dead already.”

 

“What do you mean? Tell me!”

 

Discord smirked again, and though Mikal couldn’t see it, he could feel Discord’s arrogance grow. “I can’t tell you directly, of course. But I can tell you this: Lulu carries information that only she knows about. Or at least, she will once she regains her memories.” Discord’s smirk grew into a full-fledged grin.

 

“A great chunk of knowledge that not even the gods that created this world know about!” The humanoid draconequus turned his head to look Mikal in the eye.

 

“The Secrets of the Moon!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter needed a good amount of work. Combine that with college assignments and another piece I'm working on, and you've got the reason why this chapter came out late as it is. The chapters after this shouldn't need as much refining, but I am working with a six-year difference of writing skill.
> 
> This chapter originally ended with Shadowmere contemplating Luna. However, it was so convoluted and out of place that I removed it entirely. To sum up what I had been trying to say in that section: Shadowmere senses Luna's connection to Masser and Secunda, Skyrim's moons. He equates this to Nocturnal and decides to keep an eye on her.
> 
> Shadowmere is also confused as to why Luna smells like a mare when she is clearly human.


	5. Discord Provides Plot

Hermaeus Mora concentrated, pouring energy and knowledge into a single point. Once he had finished, the Daedric Prince of Knowledge examined his creation. Perfect. He began to chuckle quietly to himself.

 

“The dark elf will call him. He will bring her to me. And the secrets she holds will be **MINE!** ”

 

* * *

 

 

Neloth sat up in bed with a gasp. He blinked, then looked around, a tad confused. The Telvanni wizard frowned. His apprentice must have slipped another sleeping potion in his tea. Still, Neloth felt refreshed, so he decided he wouldn’t berate Talvas for it. The dark elf paused, stroking his chin as he began to recall his dream. Then it hit him. A Black Book! Hermaeus Mora had written a new Black Book! Undoubtedly it would be in a place hazardous to anyone who entered, but he knew exactly who would be willing to go after it.

 

Neloth shouted for his apprentice, “Talvas! Where are you? We have a letter to write and a Black Book to locate!”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Luna sat in the kitchen of Mikal and Shavee’s home, holding a cup of what the female Argonian had called kafay. The Redguards of Hammerfell had produced the drink, a warm beverage that tasted bitter but soothed the nerves. Luna found herself liking the drink, giving her something to focus on after the breakdown she had experienced.

 

“Feeling better, dear?”

 

Luna looked up from her seat to see Shavee carrying a tray with a bowl and spoon. “Yes, I am.” The blue-haired Breton smiled at her. “Thank you for the drink.”

 

“It’s nothing, really. Both Mikal and Argis, my husband’s Housecarl, adore the stuff, so we have plenty in stock. I didn’t know if you wanted anything added to it, so I kept it plain. Here,” she said, putting the tray down. “This is apple cabbage stew. Since the children are taking so long, you can have some. I wouldn’t want it to get cold and go to waste.”

Seeing Luna open her mouth to protest, Shavee held up her hand to stop her from saying anything. “It is not the first time, and it will not be the last. They will simply have to put up with bread and cheese.”

 

“Well...thank you, Shavee.” Luna picked up the spoon, then paused, a frown on her face. “Shavee...is it normal for Mikal to bite people in the neck?” There was a beat of silence, and Shavee turned back towards Luna, having gone back to the pot to fill another bowl.

 

“What?”

 

“S-sorry.” Luna blushed, somewhat embarrassed at asking such a strange question. “It’s just that, at the place he rescued myself and Fjorta, he snuck up behind a Forsworn and bit his neck.”

 

Shavee was silent as if she was contemplating her answer. “I...forgot that you lost your memory.” Another silent pause. “My husband is...a vampire. You see, some time back, he showed up with a woman named Serana. Serana was also a vampire but had not attacked Mikal, or even tried to drink his blood. Instead, she trusted him to take her home. They had stopped here for a refill of stocks. I was shocked at first that he would travel with a vampire before I remembered that he had also befriended werewolves. After that, he disappeared for about a month before reappearing…”

 

_{Flashback}_

 

_Shavee turned at the sound of the front door slamming open. What she saw scared her._

 

_“Mikal!”_

 

_The aforementioned lizard was being propped up by Serana, his arm around her shoulders. Shavee made to move forward when Serana quickly exclaimed “NO! Don’t tempt him!”_

 

_“Tempt him? What do you…” Shavee’s voice died in her throat. Mikal’s scales were pale - almost a pure white color. His exposed snout revealed elongated fangs. And when he raised his head to look at her, there was only hunger in them. “Wh-what…”_

 

_“I can and will explain, but only after I’ve tended to him. Get the children and the Housecarl if he’s here and get out!” Seeing the female lizard hesitate, Serana shouted, “NOW!”_

 

_{Flashback End}_

 

“In order to fight against Serana’s father, she and Mikal had to enter a place called the Soul Cairn. Mikal, however, could not enter while he was alive, and since vampires are considered undead…”

 

“He became one himself.”

 

“Yes. It was voluntary on his part. What he did not expect was the hunger for blood, which the Soul Cairn had repressed for whatever reason. Fortunately, Serana knew of a way to make a Blood Potion, which can soothe a vampire’s hunger. He even trained himself to ignore the call of fresh blood so that myself, Argis, and the children could be safe.”

 

“But what about the Forsworn?”

 

From the kitchen doorway, a familiar voice spoke up. “He had it coming, and I was thirsty. Even I only have so much restraint.”

 

Both Luna and Shavee turned to see Mikal standing there, a smirk plastered on his snout. Shavee walked up to him and hugged him tightly, relishing the moment. “Welcome back, dear. I do hope whoever you were fighting got off lightly.”

 

Mikal, who had returned the hug, grimaced. “The Dawnguard found me again. I was getting bored of Markarth anyways. What do you think? Solitude this time?”

 

“Oh, Mikal,” Shavee sighed. “You cannot keep running forever. Sooner or later you must confront Isran. Killing those he sends after you doesn’t help.”

 

“You haven’t seen their so-called ‘trials’ for vampires.”

 

“The...Dawnguard?” Luna asked, a bit confused.

 

“A group of vampire hunters. Despite me preventing not one but two power-hungry vampires from creating an eternal night, they hunt me because I too am a vampire.” Luna’s eyes became unfocused.

 

“Eternal...night…” she whispered. No one noticed her pupils become cat-like for a moment. Mikal’s voice roused her from her trance.

 

“By the way, Luna. Someone claiming to know you... _helped_ fight off the Dawnguard. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring him to you.” Turning to someone the two women couldn’t see, Mikal called him forwards. “Get over here. Pray to whatever Divine you worship that she recognizes you.”

 

The Argonian moved to the side, and a very strange man stepped into the kitchen. Upon seeing Luna, his mismatched eyes lit up and a snaggletoothed grin grew on his face. “Hello, Lulu.” Luna’s own eyes widened a bit as the tiniest of memories fell into place.

 

“...Discord…”

 

* * *

 

 

Discord had to admit, he was glad that Luna recognized him. As it was, he would’ve had quite the time fighting off Mr. Grumpy Scales. So glad was he, that when Luna stood up and strode over to him, Discord opened his arms for a hug.

 

“I’m _so_ glad you remem-”

 

**_CRACK_ **

 

The sudden backhand made him less glad, though if the rasping cackles were anything to go by, the lizard thought it was hilarious. For his part, Discord put his hand to his cheek, wincing at the stinging feeling.

 

“I take you aren’t happy with me, Lulu.”

 

“I’ve yet to decide," she retorted. "All I remember about you is that you very much deserved that backhand.”

 

“But you remember me!”

 

“Vaguely, yes.”

 

Discord looked at Mikal, a triumphant look in his eyes. “You see? I wasn’t lying!”

 

For his part, Mikal had a wary look on his face. “Luna...you say you vaguely remember him. What do you remember?”

 

Luna thought for a moment, her eyes closed and a somewhat frustrated look on her face. “...Discord was an enemy. An obnoxious one at that. I and someone else stopped him. Later he attacked again, shaping... _somewhere_ to his liking. I believe there were clouds that rained milk.”

 

“Cotton candy clouds that rained chocolate milk, thank you.” At the disbelieving and confused looks he received, Discord shrugged. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” Mikal groaned. “Continue, Luna.”

 

“There were others that stopped his second attack...and then he was released and reformed into an ally.” She opened her eyes, still somewhat frustrated. “That’s all I remember.”

 

“That’s very good, Lulu. The failsafe worked perfectly.” All eyes turned to Discord, who for once looked serious. “Perhaps I should explain.”

 

“You have five minutes,” Mikal growled. “What failsafe? What are you talking about?”

 

Discord let out a weary sigh. “Please keep in mind that I must limit what I say. It’s the only way to protect Luna.

 

“First and foremost, Luna and I are from another world. No, not some obscure realm of Oblivion, but if it helps you to think of it like that then go ahead. Now, we knew that there are other worlds and dimensions out there thanks to an...encounter with one. Naturally, this sparked the idea of exploring other worlds and dimensions. I, of course, was the perfect candidate to do this, what with my reality-bending chaos powers and all. So I jumped from place to place, recording the history of the lands and having fun as I went.

 

“We should’ve expected what happened next. One of my jumps landed me in the strangest place I had ever been to. It was a dark place, with islands made of books and-”

 

“Murky waters with unknown depths, three-armed creatures wrapped in shabby cloaks, highly aggressive giant humanoid fish beings, and tentacles seemingly made of ink.” This time, all eyes turned to Mikal, who had interrupted Discord’s explanation with his own. “You jumped to Apocrypha, the Oblivion Realm of the Daedric Prince of Knowledge, Hermaeus Mora.”

 

“Dearest, how do you know of this place?” Shavee seemed frightened; if her expression were anything to go by, Daedric Princes were not something to be trifled with.

 

“You remember what I told you of Miraak? How I fought him in Solstheim?” Shavee nodded, recalling the tale. “I was not entirely truthful. Miraak was in Apocrypha, having been claimed by Mora as his champion, and in my pursuit, Mora gave me the knowledge needed to defeat him at the price of the Skald’s secrets. Afterward, Mora killed Miraak and named me his new champion. I renounced him, of course, but he just chuckled and rebuked me.”

 

His wife was visibly shaken by this, and she clutched him all the tighter. “He can’t have you. None of them can.”

 

Discord raised an eyebrow. “‘None of them?’”

 

Mikal let out a heavy sigh. “Ever since my arrival in Skyrim, I have run across a total of twelve Daedric Princes, rulers of their respective Oblivion Realms, including Mora. Out of the twelve, all have claimed me as their champion, and I only respect four. Nocturnal, who is a patron to the Thieves Guild that I lead, Meridia, who gave me a weapon that was and is extremely helpful every time I come across some form of undead, Azura, who gave me her Star and guided me through its recovery, and Sheogorath, simply because I find him somewhat amusing and I’d be stupid not to.”

Silence reigned in the room as Luna openly gawked at the pale Argonian and Discord had some form of recognition at the Mad God’s name. “Sheogorath also sounds like the one that took your powers, Discord. It makes sense, which is terrifying in and of itself. Sheogorath isn’t supposed to make sense; he drives people insane and is mad himself.”

 

Discord simply shook his head at the revelation and continued his story. “In any case, I found myself in Apocrypha, when this huge mass of tentacles with an eyeball appeared…”

 

_{Flashback}_

 

_“You are...new...to me. Why have you come here...creature?”_

 

_The draconequus’s ears fell, and he put on a shaky grin. He may have been powerful, but even Discord knew when he was outclassed. “N-now, now. No need to get all territorial on me. I’m just jumping around dimensions at random. I-I didn’t know I’d end up here.”_

 

_The writhing mass stared at him, the goat eye of the thing balefully blinking slower than a snail crawling. “...Nonsense...everyone that comes here has...something in common...you are looking for knowledge, are you not?”_

 

_“U-um, yes! Y-you could say that!” What felt like an eternity passed. Neither being moved, one studying the new creature that had unexpectedly jumped into his realm, and the other simply scared to move. Finally, Discord spoke up. “W-well, I’m sure you’re busy, s-so I’ll just leave now. Tah!”_

 

_He snapped his talons, but nothing happened. Well, that was untrue. Discord felt the familiar surge of chaos energy rushing to shift his position, but before it could do that, it dissipated, torn apart by the very nature of Apocrypha. “You cannot...leave,” Mora boomed. “...not without an...exchange...knowledge for knowledge...you gained knowledge...when you arrived, and so...must give me knowledge...to leave…”_

 

_Discord nodded, just wanting to get out of there. “O-of course! Well, I’m a draconequus, a spirit of chaos and disharmony with reality-bending powers! Normally I can do as I please, b-but this place is keeping me from doing so; s-stopping the chaos before it can happen.” He fidgeted, waiting for a response._

 

_“How...interesting...you may leave...I will see you again...Draconequus…”_

 

_{Flashback End}_

 

“After he said that, I blacked out and woke up in my world. His words stuck with me, so I convinced everyone to take safety measures: a failsafe spell that would give whoever was taken from our world by a foreign power amnesia until they found a way to come home. The only reason Lulu even vaguely remembers me is that I had such an impact on everyone’s lives. I am very memorable.”

 

Mikal snorted in amusement. “That you are. Despite telling the guards that you’re a newly discovered Daedra, they’re still gossiping about the creature that killed so ferally. They don’t like you, Discord, so I would advise you to not act so primal next time.”

 

Ignoring the jab, Discord continued. “It is okay for Lulu to remember me because I have already told Mora about me. He doesn’t strike me as the type to want old information. However, the moment she starts remembering, Luna is in danger. No doubt Mora has servants in this world that would try and take her to him. And that is bad, due to what Luna does know that absolutely must be kept secret, no matter what.”

 

Luna spoke up, a bit worried about the predicament she was in. “I...had a breakdown earlier. I mentioned something called the Children of the Night.”

 

“Did you remember anything about them besides the name?”

 

Luna shook her head. “Aside from you being associated in some way, no.”

 

“Then we are safe,” Discord said. “At least for now. Now that you and I have reunited, the memories will slowly start coming back. Tell me the instant you remember anything.” The room was silent for a moment. “And you two, stop hiding behind the door. I know you’re there.”

 

All eyes turned to the doorway, where two children guiltily stepped out from behind the door. Shavee let out a small sigh. “We have talked for a long while. I will get these two some food and then they will go to bed.”

Seeing Runa and Alesan begin to protest, Shavee quickly silenced them, “Hsst! No complaining. Go.” The children trudged off to their room, and Shavee followed after gathering up some bread and two cups.

 

Discord stretched and yawned, popping and cracking quite a few bones as he did. “I am exhausted! I don’t suppose you would be willing to lend me a bed for the night?”

 

“No. We only have one guest bedroom, and Luna is taking it. You will go to the inn and rent out a room for the night. I still don’t trust you, so be grateful that I am giving you enough gold to pay for the rent.”

 

“Fine.” Discord rolled his eyes and said goodnight to Luna, who was quite amused by Discord, however vague her memories of him were.

 

She too yawned, and Mikal helped her up from the chair. “Come. I’ll take you to your bed.”

Luna shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable. Stone wasn’t the best thing to use for a bed, and even with the hay-stuffed mattress, it felt very hard. Eventually, she found a good position and fell asleep.

 

_{Luna’s Dream}_

 

_Luna blinked as she found herself floating in a star-filled landscape. It was very beautiful to look at, and she soon noticed the gray, pitted surface she was slowly falling towards. She landed softly, causing a bit of dust to puff up from the disturbance of her touch down. She recognized the moon, of course, amnesia or no amnesia. To her right, a darkened moonscape stretched onwards, filling her vision as she turned towards it._

 

_“Hello, Luna. Did you miss me?”_

 

_Startled, Luna peered forwards. A pair of cat-like eyes stared back at her. “Who are you?”_

 

_“Oh, Luna...don't tell me you can’t recognize yourself anymore…” And she stepped out of the darkness._

 

_Luna gasped. It did look like her. However, this version of her had many noticeable differences. The first was the midnight black skin, and how it seemed to absorb light. The second was the pointed ears, followed by the smile filled with sharp teeth that didn’t reach her eyes. The third was the clothing...or lack thereof. Luna could barely call the few scraps of cloth that covered the woman’s extremities clothes. This was her and yet...it wasn’t. “You...you are not me. Simply because we look somewhat alike-”_

 

_“What’s wrong, Luna? Still in denial...or is it something else?” The woman’s eyes gleamed for the briefest of seconds. “I see. You have amnesia from Discord’s little failsafe spell. Well, worry not. I won’t take advantage...this time. After all, whether it’s you or it’s me, we must protect the secrets.”_

 

_Luna blinked, coming out of her shock. “What secrets? Who are you?”_

 

_The woman laughed, the lack of mirth causing the laughter to sound wrong. “The secrets will come to you, little Luna. As for who I am...I am…”_

 

_{Markarth, Mikal’s house}_

 

Luna sat up in her bed, with remnants of the dream still lingering. She shuddered as she recalled the way the woman had leaned in and whispered into her ear her name, as though the woman were whispering secrets to a lover. The woman’s name fell upon her lips and escaped into the open air.

 

“Nightmare Moon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a heads-up, I'm going to be posting a story based off of the Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon games. Keep an eye out for those!

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me while at a summer camp, and I immediately started scribbling down the first chapter in a notebook I carried. Some changes here and there, but for the most part, it's the same. This first one is short, but the next chapters will get longer, I promise. Please, leave a comment and a kudos if you enjoyed the chapter, and subscribe if you want to know when the next chapters are coming out!


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